“It is good to give thanks to the Lord to sing praises to the Most High. It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening.” (vs. 1&2). From the moment we begin to wake up, thank Him for his unconditional love, for His grace and mercy, for who He is! As the day draws to a close, praise Him for his faithfulness toward us. And in between morning and evening? Sing praises … even if we don’t feel like it. “You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me! I sing for joy because of what you have done.” (vs. 4) Praise keeps our focus on God. And when praise is part of our life, our attitude toward every area of life, as well as our attitude toward people, will change. We begin to see life and people through God’s eyes, with His heart, through the blood of Jesus.
I also like verses 12-14 … “But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. For they are transplanted into the Lord’s own house. They flourish in the courts of our God. Even in old age, they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green.” I have transplanted several trees in my short life, and the process begins by my going to the nursery and my selecting the tree. Before I can plant the tree in my yard, I have to dig (actually Ken digs) the appropriate size hole, loosen the ground in the hole, open up the ball of roots, set the tree in the hole at the right depth, put the dirt back into the hole, and keep the tree watered. I even prune off branches that I do not want the tree to focus its growth energy on. So, too, with us...God transplanted us from the kingdom of darkness into His kingdom of life. In His presence and through His word, we are fed, watered, pruned...we grow and produce fruit. We are to be fruitful even in our old age. God does not set an age limit on producing fruit, we do! We cannot produce fruit if we disconnect ourselves from Him, from the Word, from the Body, from those who are older than we. The fruit God produces in our lives is not for us...it’s for others, believers and unbelievers alike.
Father, help us to be a thankful people and let praise be continually on our lips.
2 comments:
I also really like verses 12-15. That's a great promise to not only flourish in the courts of our God, but also to bear fruit at an old age and to be fresh and flourishing. Also, it says "those who are planted in the house of the Lord". Local church is important. We can't do it alone without the help and strength of other believers. I like your analogy of the transplanted tree. That's exactly what I think of when I read that verse.
All great, encouraging comments!
I am very grateful for the "trees" in our church who were transplanted before me! What they've learned, how they've been pruned and watered and fed by the Lord are valuable! Listening to them is like water and food to this tree!
Post a Comment